Kenny Pickett said why he should be the No. 1 quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 of the preseason, while Desmond Ridder looks set to start for the Atlanta Falcons at some point and Malik Willis showed why he should start for the Tennessee Titans on the road. How did each of these quarterbacks — and the other rookie signal-callers — fare in Week 2? Let’s take a look.
Kenny Pickett, Steelers
Pickett made his case to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback after a strong follow-up to his impressive debut. He finished 6 of 7 for 76 yards and a touchdown, finishing with a 151.5 passer rating. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had Pickett run a no-huddle offense, finding Benny Snell to cap off a five-play, 63-yard drive in just 42 seconds. Pickett is 19 or 22 for 171 yards with three touchdowns and a 138.6 passer rating through two games. He looks like the Steelers’ top quarterback, even if Pittsburgh goes with Mitchell Trubisky to start the year. Check the opt-in box to confirm you want to join.
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Malik Willis, Titans
Willis looked impressive in his second game with the Titans, even if he still needs work throwing the football. He finished 7-for-17 for 80 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions (75.6 rating) while also being sacked three times. Willis also led the Titans with 42 yards on five carries. Accuracy issues remain a concern for Willis, but he’ll learn behind Ryan Tannehill to start the year. Willis has completed just 48.4 percent of his passes in the two games he’s played, but has 10 carries for 80 yards and a score. Howell’s second outing didn’t go as well as his debut, finishing 10 of 18 for 122 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions (53.5 rating). He also has two carries for 13 yards, including a long run of 11 yards. Howell had some good shots on Dax Milne and Eli Wolf, but dropped his interception with the Commanders down three in the final minutes. Howell has completed 55.9% of his passes with an interception and a 69.1 rating. He has five carries for 32 yards and two scores, learning as the No. 3 quarterback behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke. Corral’s season is likely over after he suffered an injury to LisFranc in the Panthers’ second preseason game. Projected to be the No. 3 quarterback his rookie year, Corral went just 9 of 15 for 58 yards before leaving Friday’s game in the second half. The Panthers may place Corral on injured reserve. Zappe was the third quarterback to enter the game for the Patriots and played the rest of the contest, finishing 16 of 25 for 173 yards and an interception — which was returned for a touchdown — for a 67.6 rating. The fourth-round pick is in line for the No. 3 spot in New England, though he could overtake Brian Hoyer for the No. 2 role. Purdy completed 14 of 23 passes for 128 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions, entering the game in the second quarter and playing the rest of the way. The seventh-round pick took his share of snaps this preseason, going 17 of 29 for 164 yards with a touchdown (86.0 rating). Purdy is in line for the No. 3 job in San Francisco. Crum entered the game late in the fourth quarter, completing all three of his passes for 27 yards while playing the final three possessions for Kansas City. The former Kent State quarterback was an undrafted free agent signed by the Chiefs, but he’s too big a shot to make the roster right now as the No. 4 quarterback. …